Retention rates: What did you gain and what did you keep?

This aspect of cycling fascinates me, especially as I just finished my first cycle and Iíve already lost half of my gains within one week of PCT.

The purpose of this thread is to simply post your cycle (compound/product and length, dosage: Every Day/Pulsed), your workout style e.g. 4 day split, 5x5 etc, diet e.g. 4000+ cals, your gains, your pct and what you managed to keep by the end of pct.

If enough people do this I think it will be some interesting data. Perhaps there are certain compounds that have a high retention rate, maybe there is a particular pct protocol that really works. Maybe there isnít a pattern at all. Does everyone simply lose everything?

1) pplex 30/30/30 gained 10 kept ~5, then started to cut, didn't keep much in the long run
2) SD 10/20/20/30 gained 15 kept 9, but had to eat so much i increased fat, maybe 5 pounds lbm gained
3) SD 10/20/20/30 followed by bunk TestE followed by 6 weeks of test prop. Gained 15 but also gained like 2% bodyfat so the LBM was pretty minimal, started cutting after that...

I haven't kept much! LOL...

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1) pplex 30/30/30 gained 10 kept ~5, then started to cut, didn't keep much in the long run
2) SD 10/20/20/30 gained 15 kept 9, but had to eat so much i increased fat, maybe 5 pounds lbm gained
3) SD 10/20/20/30 followed by bunk TestE followed by 6 weeks of test prop. Gained 15 but also gained like 2% bodyfat so the LBM was pretty minimal, started cutting after that...

I haven't kept much! LOL...

so are you more strictly a recomp kinda roider now? i really couldnt see myself ever bulking again if i had to deal with that busshh

1) pplex 30/30/30 gained 10 kept ~5, then started to cut, didn't keep much in the long run
2) SD 10/20/20/30 gained 15 kept 9, but had to eat so much i increased fat, maybe 5 pounds lbm gained
3) SD 10/20/20/30 followed by bunk TestE followed by 6 weeks of test prop. Gained 15 but also gained like 2% bodyfat so the LBM was pretty minimal, started cutting after that...

I haven't kept much! LOL...

pretty well the normal story. if it wasn't, there'd be a pile of 300+ pound guys here

Definitely harder for me to gain when i've been starting from between 210 and 240 pounds on those various bulks. Now if i were 170 i'd gain 25 pounds on a cycle or something, just because there's so much untapped headroom.

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Cycle: H-Drol - 50/75/100/125/150/150PCT: Nolvadex - 20/20/10/10, Formex 2/2/1/1, PCT Assist 0/0/4/4/4/4/4/4Starting weight: 192Ending weight: 207Starting bf%: roughly 14%Ending bf%: I'm assuming 16%, because when I was at 200lbs. I had it tested and I was 15%Side-Effects: None, no change in libido either. Just a heavier hanging fella.

Conclusion:
I started losing strength, while not losing weight, just my first week into PCT. Then, by the 3rd week, after losing most of my strength gains, I felt fat and bloated and wanted to cut down. So, I basically gave up trying to retain any gains by my 3rd-4th week into PCT, and started cutting down for my recomp I plan on doing in late September - early October.

I finished a 4 week Havoc cycle this spring with very poor PCT.
Beginning Weight: 162lbs
Ending Weight: 180lbs
Weight Retained: 177lbs
I'm actually at about 172lbs right now, but I've cut some bodyfat. Arms went from 14.5" to 15.5". After PCT, a few weeks at maintenance, and about a month dieting, they are still at 15.25". I'm hoping to hit 16+" with my next p-plex/epi cycle.

Interesting stuff, reps given for those who contributed. Keep it coming!

Easy; I hear what you are saying about the 300+ lbs guys. My weight loss has stopped so it looks like I'll retain 50% of my first cycle.

its funny, I recall one guy that if you started with his initial weight, and added up gains each cycle, he would have made it to almost 400 if he kept any. but he'd go from 185-200~210 then between pct and wait time to next cycle he'd be back at 185 again, then run another cycle. Can't recall who it was, but he had like 6 cycles like that.

I gained 6 lbs of muscle from a cycle of "The One" up to 176 lbs. I'm about a week into my pct and down to 172, strength is definately down too. One thing I noticed is that the second day into pct I could sleep again, the whole time I was on TO I could not sleep more than 2 hours straight, tossed and turned all night, I was miserable, other than that no sides.

its funny, I recall one guy that if you started with his initial weight, and added up gains each cycle, he would have made it to almost 400 if he kept any. but he'd go from 185-200~210 then between pct and wait time to next cycle he'd be back at 185 again, then run another cycle. Can't recall who it was, but he had like 6 cycles like that.

You have to wonder why. Looking at the limited data here, most people retain some gains, some retain none.

this is very interesting. If most people loose a substantial amount of their gains on their 1st week of pct then it prob is cuz of a low test lvl like stated above. Then wouldn't it be smarter to use a natty test booster on week one and slowly taper down to week 6 of pct?

Maybe there needs to be an AI used earlier than week 3 in order to surpress E sooner and taper down while a Serm and Test booster raises your bodies natural test lvls?

In short ur body would need to raise natty Test lvls as fast as possible. And control how fast and how high Estrogen lvls can come back.

I'm going to do an injectable cycle of EQ and have hcg on cycle. I bet I retain more that way.

see the difference with that vs an oral cycle is gains in weeks. On RQ you'll expect to gain 15lbs over 12 weeks, gaining 15 in 4 weeks on orals is likely to be less maintainable anyhow because its so quick a jump